A Robot That Helps You Diet

Autom is a weight-loss coach. She knows how much you've been exercising, and she knows your diet. With a touch of your finger, she knows if you're in a good mood.

Autom is also a robot, and her inventor hopes she can help people lead healthier lives.

What could be the next weapon in the fight against obesity? A talkative, droopy-eyed robot. Cory Kidd, CEO of Intuitive Automata, talks about how his robot "Autom" could help people lose weight by tracking eating and exercising habits.

Cory Kidd, co-founder and chief executive of Intuitive Automata Inc., built the first incarnation of Autom by hand while studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab and seeing patients at Boston Medical Center's clinic.

Mr. Kidd, 32 years old, saw an opportunity to create "something that could be a very large benefit," he said.

Intuitive Automata, selected as a finalist in the Asian Innovation Awards, is targeting the U.S. market for Autom's launch next year, where she will be tested in a pilot program with a major insurance company.

Dieters start off with Autom by entering the details of their diet and exercise into the robot. She sits on a countertop and is programmed to hold daily "conversations" with the user. "I know this setup with talking to me might be a little strange, but I hope that you'll get used to it," she says. He can tap "Thanks," "OK" or "Let's move on" on the robot's screen, which responds in turn based on the selection.

Intuitive Automata's research has shown that users stick with Autom's programs, which provide feedback and encouragement, longer than most diets, even after the novelty of using a robot wears off, Mr. Kidd said.

ENLARGE

"Autom" talks with dieters and helps them keep track of their eating and exercising habits.
Lam Thuy Vo/Wall Street Journal

Autom also uses social cues to seem more lifelike, a big psychological difference from working with a static computer screen. She blinks her eyes, turns to look at who she's talking to, and ends conversations by saying, "I hope we can talk again about your progress," in a female voice.

Her programmers are studying ways to enhance her speech and facial-recognition software. Now she can find a face, but in the future she will be able to tell faces apart.

"It was just kind of instant love," Amna Carreiro said of the first time she saw Autom.

Ms. Carreiro, 41 years old, lost nine pounds during a six-month trial study in Boston. "You would get instant feedback, and you would be reminded of your goals. I wanted to be good," she said.

"The challenge is how do you integrate the whole system in a way that is comfortable and easy-to-use," Mr. Kidd said. The Boston trial included dieters who weren't tech-savvy: One subject, a retired police officer, had never owned a computer.

Autom doesn't even have a manual—users simply take her out of the box and plug her into an outlet.

Obesity exacerbates many health problems, and the health-care costs for obese people tend to be higher, but insurers can't charge different premiums. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said health-care spending rose to about $2.5 trillion last year.

Part of Mr. Kidd's business strategy was founding his company in Hong Kong. His team, including fellow co-founders Chief Technology Officer Bill McCord and Chief Design Officer Erica Young, can easily visit the factory where the robots are built, across the border in China. One hurdle the team faces is sourcing the right kind of screen, which fits vertically on Autom's belly. That is where users input diet and exercise data. Currently, the most common use for that size screen is in headrest TV sets that typically stretch the image.

The company is saving money on staff costs and rent--the first 18 months in Hong Kong's Science Park were rent-free, and it received an interest-free loan from the Hong Kong government.

In the future, Intuitive Automata will have sales and marketing staff based in the U.S., but the design and development team will remain in Hong Kong. They are currently working on expanding Autom's conversations into areas such as Type II diabetes and other chronic diseases.

The two—Mr. Kidd and Autom—have spent a lot of time on the road. "She's very important to me," he said. "We've traveled together all over the world."

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